Collapse Into Now
by slincoln
Summary: An impossible box lands in an impossible school, but why?
1. Chapter 1

Collapse Into Now

A Doctor Who/Harry Potter Crossover

By: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: All the characters and setting depicted below belong to other people.

Spoilers: Collapse Into Now is set during Half Blood Prince and between A Christmas Carol and Impossible Astronaut. Obviously, for the purposes of this story, The Shakespeare Code is being ignored

Chapter 1:

"Have you ever been to Betelgeuse Five?" The Doctor asked Amy and Rory. They were lounging in the TARDIS control room, which at that moment was floating aimlessly in space. "Lovely place Betelgeuse Five. They've got crabs as big as your head."

"They've got those on Earth too," Amy pointed out.

"Yes, but those are boring Earth crabs. These are Betelgeuse crabs, much more exciting. They say you've never had crabs until you've had a Betelgeuse crab!"

"Can we please stop talking about crabs?" Rory asked.

"Touch an itchy spot did we?" Amy impishly asked her husband

"No, it's just, y'know..." Rory stammered.

Amy leaned over and kissed Rory on the cheek. "Come on Doctor, show us these crabs of yours."

"Right, a whole mess of crabs coming right up!" The Doctor shouted. "Wait, that came out wrong." With a shrug he threw a level on the TARDIS control column and the time machine lurched into action.

"Is it just me or is the ride especially rough today?" Rory asked as he clung to the railing in an attempt to stay upright.

"Just a bit of extra chop, nothing to worry about," the Doctor replied as he clung to the control column. A panel exploding in a shower of sparks gave lie to the Doctor's claim. The TARDIS then came to a shuddering stop. "See, no problem. Now about those crabs." He strode over to the TARDIS doors and threw them open. "Ah..."

Amy and Rory rushed over to where the Doctor was standing and stuck their heads out of the door. "Well I don't know what Betelgeuse looks like, but I don't think this is it," Amy said as she looked at the room they found themselves in. "What an odd place." She noted as they stepped out of the TARDIS. It was a large, yet homey room, filled with comfortable chairs and sofas. One wall was dominated by a large fireplace, and several staircases leading were visible from where they stood.

"Did that picture just move?" Rory asked.

"Doctor, where are we?"

The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his jacket pocket and began waving it around. "Based on local gravity and atmospheric makeup I'd say Earth, Scotland to be precise, but there's something strange..."

"Who are you, how did you get in here, and what is that box?" A voice from behind them said sharply.

Amy, the Doctor and Rory turned and saw three teenagers, two boys and a girl, dressed in what looked like black robes standing in front of them. "Are they pointing sticks at us?" Amy asked quietly.

"My name is the Doctor, and this is Amy Pond and Rory Williams," the Doctor told the dark-haired boy standing in the middle of the group. "I'll be happy to tell you how we go here, but first would you mind telling me where here is?"

"You're in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the other boy, a tall redhead, said like it was the most obvious thing.

"Doctor isn't a name, it's a title," the girl pointed out.

"It's my name," the Doctor tersely replied. "Now we've been good enough to tell you our names," he ignored the snort of derision from the girl. "If you could please return the favour and tell us yours?"

The lead boy hesitated for a moment. "Alright, I'm Harry Potter." Harry paused again, as if expecting a reaction to his name. When none was forthcoming he continued on. "This is Hermione Granger and that's Ron Weasley."

"Hang on, did you say Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Rory asked. "As in magic?"

"Oh rubbish, there's no such thing as magic," the Doctor snapped.

"Oi, magic's not rubbish, it's real!" Ron protested.

"And I suppose that's your 'wand' that you're holding?" The Doctor asked with condescension creeping into his voice.

"Yeah, it is, and you better watch yourself or I'll show you just how real it is." Ron aimed his wand squarely at the Doctor.

"I'd like to see you try," the Doctor sneered. He walked closer to Ron, letting the wand touch his chest.

Hermione reached out and grabbed Ron's hand. "Ron have you forgotten that you can't go around hexing Muggles? Even if they are asking for it," she added pointedly.

"I've been from one end of the universe to another, born witness to the birth and death of this planet, and in all that time I've never seen..." the Doctor's voice trailed off as he watched an exasperated Hermione wave her wand in an intricate pattern and then tap a water goblet resting on a nearby end table. The goblet promptly turned into a rat. "...magic," he finished lamely.

"You were saying?" Hermione replied with a smug grin as she returned the rat to its original state.

The Doctor wordlessly opened and closed his mouth. He then gathered himself. "Let me see that for a moment." He snatched the wand out of Harry's hand before the young wizard had a chance to react. "Now let's see what my wand." He waved the sonic screwdriver around for effect. "Has to say about this." He flipped the screwdriver on and pointed it at Harry's wand.

"What is that thing?" Ron demanded as he aimed his wanted back at the Doctor.

"Calm down, it's just a screwdriver, won't hurt anything."

"Doesn't look like any screwdriver I've ever seen," Harry observed.

"That's because it's sonic," the Doctor replied in an exasperated voice.

"But electronics don't work in Hogwarts," Hermione protested.

"Mine do," the Doctor said coolly. He finished with Harry's wand and tossed it back. "Here you go, like I said only took a minute. Now what do we have here...holly, a feather of some sort inside...is that?" He waved the sonic over Harry and stared at it again. "Of course I should have known. It's so obvious."

"What?" Amy demanded. "What's so obvious?"

"Rowling Radiation, this whole place is dripping with the stuff. Including them." He lazily pointed at Harry, Hermione and Ron.

"What's Rowling Radiation?" Rory wondered.

"Very old, very powerful stuff. Nobody uses it anymore because it's tricky, unpredictable and interferes with other EM fields. To anyone who doesn't know any better, manipulating it," the Doctor paused to adjust a setting on the screwdriver, "would seem like magic." With a flick of his wrist a bouquet of roses sprung out of the end of the sonic. The Doctor caught the bouquet and handed it to Hermione who grudgingly accepted them. "But most importantly, not magic, there's no such thing."

"What about magical creatures like werewolves?"

"Oh werewolves are nothing more than a rubbish alien infection."

"You've met werewolves then?" Amy asked in disbelief.

"Yep."

"But magic breaks all the laws of physics!" Hermione protested. "It can't simply be some form of radiation."

"All that laws that you know of. Einstein was very clever, but he left out a few of the more fiddily bits I told him about."

"You talked to Einstein?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Of course I have, time traveler, remember?"

"You never said you were a time traveler," Hermione pointed out.

"Well I thought that was implied by the birth and death of the planet comment," the Doctor sniffed. "Either way, there you have it, time traveler."

"Who's Einstein?" Ron asked Hermione.

"A Muggle scientist, but that's not important right now," Hermione replied.

"Oh he's a sharp one, I thought you said this was a school."

"It's a wizarding school, and Ron's from a wizarding family. He's had limited exposure to the Muggle," Hermione caught herself. "Non-magical world."

"That's awfully limiting," the Doctor observed. "Albert Einstein was one of the most clever humans in all your short history, to not even know he existed. Well, actually it'd be fairly typical considering you all have the attention span of a gnat."

"We can talk about the state of wizard educations later," Harry snapped. "Right now I want to know what you're doing in the Gryffindor common room, and what exactly that box is."

"Ah yes, well you see we came here in the blue box, it's my time machine."

"But why?"

"Why? What a silly question...no, hang on, it can be an excellent question, sometimes the best question. Everything brilliant ever done anywhere started at why. But in this case, stupid and silly. Why, why not? I've been from one end of time and space to the other, so why not come to this little speck on your silly little plant?"

"We were trying to get to Betelgeuse Five and wound up here instead," Amy chimed in. "Happens more often than you might think."

"Bit of a rubbish time machine then," Ron muttered to Harry.

"I heard that!" the Doctor snapped. "Don't be rude to the TARDIS, you'll hurt the old girl's feelings."

"Are you sure you're really a Muggle?" Ron asked. "You don't talk like one and you dress like my dad does when he goes Muggle watching."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You are dressed a little...odd," Hermione allowed. "What with the bow tie and all.

Amy and Rory both groaned as the Doctor rose up to his full height. "I'll have you know that bow ties..." The rest of his sentence was cut off by Amy clamping her hand over his mouth.

"He's an alien," she explained to the teens. "And no they are not," she told the Doctor forcefully before taking her hand off his mouth. Mollified, the Doctor shrugged, adjusted his tie and mouthed "very cool" to Harry and the others.

The latest revelation was too much for Harry to contemplate. "Ron, Hermione, stay here and keep an eye on these three. I'll go get Dumbledore. He can make sense out of this."

"No need Harry, I was already made aware of our guests arrival," Dumbledore said as he strode into the common room. "Good evening Doctor. It is an honor to finally meet a Time Lord." The three Hogwarts students gawked in amazement when Dumbledore bowed in front of the Doctor.

"The pleasure is all mine I'm sure," the Doctor replied. "But I'm afraid I didn't quite catch your name. Dumbledoodle was it? And how is it you know who I am?"

Dumbledore laughed. "I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of this school. And even those of us in the cloistered wizarding world know about the Oncoming Storm...or at least those of use who care to know about such things."

The Doctor made a sour expression. "That was the other fellow," he muttered.

"Why don't we continue this discussion in my office, away from any prying ears. I am confident I will be able to answer any questions you and your companions might have. And unless I miss my guess you will have quite a few."

"Professor?" Harry asked. "What do we do about his box?"

"It's not harming anything where it is. And none of the students will be able to enter it, correct Doctor?"

"Not without a key they aren't." The Doctor took a key out of his pocket and locked the TARDIS.

"That will hardly stop a Hogwarts student," Hermione sniffed. She strode up to the TARDIS and tapped on the lock with her wand. "Alohomora!" She cried out. The reaction was instantaneous. Her wand shot out of her hand and flew across the room.

The Doctor chuckled at Hermione's surprise. "The old girl doesn't like anyone messing around with her." He patted the side of the TARDIS appreciatively.

"As you can see Ms. Granger, there is nothing to worry about. In fact I think it makes a lovely, if temporary, addition to the room's decor. Now come along, I'm sure you Harry and Mr. Weasley would like to hear what the Doctor has to say as well. If you would please follow me Doctor, and do watch your step. Hogwarts can occasionally be...treacherous to new visitors." Dumbledore then walked towards the common room's exit with Harry, Hermione and Ron close behind.

"Well this is much better than Betelgeuse Five," Amy told the Doctor. "A magical school!" She grabbed Rory's hand and they ran off after Dumbledore.

"It's not magic!" The Doctor called out. "And I was so looking forward to Betelgeuse Crab," he muttered to himself. "Still, magic school, that's new." A smile broke out across his face and he dashed off to follow the procession.

End Chapter One.

A/N: And we're off! My first published story in years, feels good. I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

-sam 10/14/2011


	2. Chapter 2

Collapse Into Now

A Doctor Who/Harry Potter Crossover

By: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: All the characters and setting depicted below belong to other people.

Spoilers: Collapse Into Now is set during Half Blood Prince and between A Christmas Carol and Impossible Astronaut. Obviously, for the purposes of this story, The Shakespeare Code is being ignored

Chapter 2:

"I hope you enjoyed our little impromptu tour of the grounds," Dumbledore said as the group entered his office. "Now if you'd please take a seat." Dumbledore sat down behind his desk and with a wave of his wand conjured four chairs and a sofa for the others. Harry, Ron and Hermione quickly sat down in three of the chairs while Amy and Rory sat in the sofa.

Instead of sitting down in the provided chair, the Doctor examined a nearby bookshelf. He pulled a copy of "A History of Magic" off the shelf and quickly flipped through it. He then proceeded to fold himself into the chair directly in front of Dumbledore's desk. "Ok, now that I understand the basics, I only have one question."

"You mean for us to believe you read that entire book just then?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

The Doctor turned around in his chair to face Hermione. "I am quite clever you know."

"You're just mad you don't know how to do that trick," Ron muttered to Hermione. "I reckon you'd already be through the entire library if you did." Hermione elbowed him sharply in the ribs in response.

"Your question Doctor?" Dumbledore prompted.

"Yes, how did you hide all this," he waved "A History of Magic" around for emphasis, "from me?" The Doctor's eyes hardened as he spoke. "I've read your book, you've existed for millennia, and yet you live in parallel to the rest of humanity, the Muggle World as you call it, not in concert. I find that curious."

"People always fear that which they don't understand," Dumbledore replied. "And our numbers have never been great."

"Even so, you humans are very adaptable. Within a few generations you'd be the new normal."

"And just think Doctor, how much more terrible the course of Muggle history would be if those of us who can wield magic took a more active role in it. Even without our help they manage to inflict terrible devastation on each other."

"The Cold War was probably a very trying time for you lot," the Doctor mused. "Though you are selling them short. Yes they do terribly stupid things, but that only serves to highlight just how clever and compassionate they can be."

Dumbledore smiled, "You don't have to convince me of that Doctor, after all I am human too."

The Doctor leaned forward in his chair, "So you say, but here's my problem. You've presented a perfectly reasoned argument. You could even say the decision to hide from the rest of the world was the wise choice. And do you know how many times I've seen a group of humans make a long-term wise decision and stick with it? I've witnessed most of your history, past and future, and I can say that's quite rare. It makes me think you're hiding something."

"All we are hiding is ourselves Doctor. The vast majority of the wizards and witches simply want to live their lives with as little interference from the Muggle World as possible."

"The majority, but not all?"

"As I said, we are humans Doctor, you've read our history. There will always be those who think their quirk of birth grants them some special privilege over others. And when that happens we take care of the problem."

"And are you taking care of such a problem right now?"

"We are," Dumbledore allowed. "But we have things more or less in hand."

"And that boy has something to do with it," the Doctor waved his hand at Harry. "He's in the middle of it yeah?"

Harry gripped the arms of his chair. "How do you know that?"

The Doctor looked back at Harry. "Oh lots of reasons, the way you carry yourself, the way my sonic reacted when it saw you. There are plenty of people who think they're special, but you're one of the few who actually is special. In fact, to someone like me, you practically scream 'Look at me!'" He turned and faced Dumbledore. "So what is it, a megalomaniac bent on conquering the world, or destroying it?"

Dumbledore did not reply, instead he stared intently at the Doctor. Harry realized the Dumbledore was attempting to perform Legilimency on the Doctor. The Doctor returned Dumbledore's gaze. "I am over nine hundred years old, do you really think you can probe my mind?"

"No, of course not," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "My apologies Doctor. Harry, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, I think it's time you returned to your dormitory."

"Sir, before we go, would you please tell us who he is?" Hermione asked. "You said something about him being a Time Lord, but what does that mean?"

"It is not my place to say, but perhaps Doctor, if you would be so kind as to enlighten Ms. Granger?"

The Doctor stared at the teens for a long moment. "Very well, I am a Time Lord, one of an ancient race from the planet Gallifrey. I travel through time and space with Amy and Rory."

"Hello," Amy said and gave a small wave. "We're from Leadworth by the way."

"You travel through time doing what?" Hermione asked.

"Oh a little of this, a little of that, saving the whole of reality from destruction. You know, stuff like that."

"You said you're from another planet. That means there are more people like you?" Ron asked.

The Doctor scowled, "No, I'm the last one. There was a war, a terrible war. Gallifrey and all the other Time Lords burned." He fell silent. "Still, could be worse, I've got my blue box and the universe at my fingertips. What more does a person need?"

"And I thought you had it bad Harry," Ron told his friend.

"Oh, what happened to you Harry?" The Doctor asked gently as he stared into Harry's eyes. "I have a feeling whatever it is, you have me beat."

"My parents were killed by a dark wizard when I was one," Harry said in a quiet monotone. "He tried to kill me too." He glanced over at Amy and Rory and saw equally horrified expressions on their faces.

"I am so very sorry Harry, is that where you got that scar?"

Harry unconsciously reached up and touched the scar. "Yeah..."

Before Harry could say anything else Dumbledore stood and clapped his hands together. "As informative as this conversation has been, I'm afraid this is still a school, and some of us," he glanced at Harry, Hermione and Ron, "both have classes in the morning and are out past curfew. Off to bed with you now."

The three teens grudgingly tromped out of the office. Amy gave them a little wave as they left. An uncomfortable silence hung over the room as the Doctor and Dumbledore returned to staring at each other.

The Doctor drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "He's just a boy," he stated plainly.

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "It was not my choice, when Voldemort attacked he was marked."

"So prophecy then?"

"Oi! Would you mind explaining to the 'Muggles' what the bloody hell you're talking about?" Amy demanded.

"Obviously I don't know the specifics," the Doctor began to explain, "but that boy Harry is bound up in the timeline of this..."

"Lord Voldemort is the name he chooses to use," Dumbledore said.

"Lord Voldemort? What kind of a name is Marvolo? Anyway, unless I miss my guess, there was a prophecy made about whoever it was who could defeat this Voldemort. Voldemort catches wind of this and tries to nip it in the bud by killing poor little Harry when he's still a baby. Now pay attention because this part is important. Prophecy is tricky, as soon as you get bound up in one it will play out and you cannot stop it. By trying to sidestep the prophecy Voldemort made sure it would come to pass, and now a boy is the only person in the universe who can stop this madman. How am I doing so far?"

"Your insight exceeds its reputation," Dumbledore replied and bowed his head slightly. "It is as you say."

"And how much does he know?"

"He knows the full prophecy. There are a few...subtleties that he is unaware of at the moment. Things he must learn on his own, no matter what he might think of me later."

"Wait, you believe in prophecy?" Amy asked the Doctor in disbelief.

"Of course I do. Prophecy is like forecasting the weather, only instead of gauging wind currents you read the flow of time. It's not mysticism, it's science. Very imprecise science I grant you, but that's Heisenberg waveforms for you."

"And now that you are fully appraised of the situation I have a question for you Doctor..." Dumbledore began to say.

"Actually, before we get to that," Rory interjected. "Are these paintings moving, or have I finally gone completely mental?"

Dumbledore smiled, "You are just as sane as anyone else in this room Mr. Williams."

"That doesn't make me feel a whole lot better," Rory quipped.

"They are enchanted paintings, and yes, they move."

"Not really enchanted," the Doctor cut in. "You see it's a..."

"Would I understand anything you're about to say?" Rory asked quickly in an attempt to keep the Doctor from building up a head of steam.

The Doctor stopped and seemed to deflate a little. "Ah, probably not, enchanted pictures they are, though still, not magical. And to answer your question Professor, I won't tell Harry any of my suspicions; he's a fixed point in time, and even I can't interfere with that."

"It relieves me to hear you say that, but my question was actually more mundane."

"Oh?"

"Yes, to be blunt, why are you here?"

"Not a clue, there must be a reason, but I haven't sorted that out yet. Has anything out of the ordinary happened lately? Any moving statues, missing people, ill tempered, over-sized pepper pots?"

"None more than usual. The school is protected by powerful charms that to keep Muggles away."

"A perception filter? Very clever. If it's not too much bother I think I'll knock about for a few days, see if there's anything I should be concerned about, then be on my way."

"We don't normally allow Muggles on school grounds," Dumbledore mused. "But you and your companions are hardly ordinary Muggles. Plus, I must confess a certain amount of curiosity over you. I've seen a great many things in my life, and you Doctor are unique. I shall find you accommodations for the night."

"One final question, what happened to your hand?" the Doctor asked, indicating Dumbledore's ruined right hand.

"I'm afraid I'm not as quick as I used to be, but do not fret, it looks worse than it is."

The Doctor and Dumbledore locked eyes again for another long moment before the Doctor nodded solemnly. "I understand. Now you said something about guest rooms?" He clasped his hands together and stood up.

"Yes of course, if you would follow me." Dumbledore rose from behind his desk and lead them out of the office.

"What was that all about?" Amy asked the Doctor as they fell in step behind the wizard.

"I'll explain later Pond, but right now we need to figure out why we're here." The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver and began waving it around the hall. "Something terrible is going to happen, and soon."

"How can you be so sure?" Rory asked.

The Doctor stopped in the middle of the hall. "Because it always does," he replied like it was the plainest thing ever.

"Why do you reckon Dumbledore gave us the boot so quickly?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione as they walked back to the Gryffindor dormitory.

"Not a bloody clue," Harry said. "Have you ever heard of a...what was he called...Time Lord Hermione?"

"No, never, but now that I have heard the name I know what to look for."

"It's funny, for all the nonsense he says about magic, the Doctor is the most wizardish person I've ever seen," Harry noted.

"Well he is an alien," Hermione pointed out. "Or at least claims he is one."

"He's a nutter, that's what he is," Ron added.

"Still," Harry mused. "I've never seen anyone stand up to Dumbledore like that. Even when he was fighting Voldemort I knew Dumbledore would be ok. With this Doctor though..." Harry's voice trailed off and they finished the trip in silence.

End Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter Two in the books. If you thought having the Doctor restate why Harry was made the "Chosen One" was a bit extraneous, I wouldn't disagree. However, I love having the Doctor explain timey-wimey things, so there you go. By the by, Collapse Into Now is finished, I'm just taking my time getting the final edits committed. Expect a new chapter a day until there are none left. Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed.

-sam


	3. Chapter 3

Collapse Into Now

A Doctor Who/Harry Potter Crossover

By: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: All the characters and setting depicted below belong to other people.

Spoilers: Collapse Into Now is set during Half Blood Prince and between A Christmas Carol and Impossible Astronaut. Obviously, for the purposes of this story, The Shakespeare Code is being ignored.

Chapter 3:

The next morning Harry made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast and to his great shock found the Doctor sitting at the head table talking quite animatedly to Professor McGonagal. Even from where Harry was standing he could see that McGonagal was not enjoying the conversation. It was a sentiment Harry could sympathize with. He found his customary seat next to Ron and Hermione and began to eat his breakfast.

"What's he doing up there?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione, pointing at the Doctor with his fork.

"Search me mate," Ron said between bites of egg. "Shame Dumbledore didn't sit him next to Snape though." They all chuckled at the thought of the Doctor trying to talk to the surly teacher.

"Oi! What was your name...Harry right? Mind if we sit here?" An already distinctive Scottish voice demanded.

Harry looked up and was not surprised to see Amy and Rory standing behind him. "Oh sure, go right ahead." All of the nearby Gryffindor students watched as the leggy redhead and her twitchy husband sat down at the table next to Harry.

"What's their problem then?" Amy asked the group, indicating the stares being directed their way.

"It's nothing," Hermione said, "it's just the two of you are the first..."

"Muggles? That's was the word you used last night," Rory offered.

"Adults," Hermione clarified, "to sit at this table that any of us have ever seen."

"What year is this anyway?" Amy asked. "Remember, time travelers?" She added in response to the disbelieving stares.

"Oh, right, er, it's 1996," Hermione answered.

"That means I'm...well younger than you lot," Amy replied. "So that's not so bad now is it?"

"Wait, you mean you're from the future?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "But you dress so normally."

"For Muggles," Ron added.

"We're not from that far into the future, just fourteen years or so is all," Rory clarified.

"So if you go strictly by birth dates you're younger than us, but you're really not because you're from the future," Harry said.

"Where you'll still be older than us," Amy pointed out.

"So what's the future like?" Ron asked.

"Oh about the same as now," Amy replied. "Still no flying cars," she noticed a furtive look between Harry and Ron, but did not press the matter. "But we do have iPhones!"

"What's an iPhone?"

"Er, it's a fancy mobile."

"A mobile what?" Ron continued to push.

"It's a telephone you carry around Ronald," Hermione explained. "My dad just got one, I told you about it, remember?"

"Not really," Ron sheepishly admitted. "Oh c'mon Hermione you know I can't keep any of that Muggle stuff straight in my head!" He protested when he saw the disapproving glare on the young witch's face.

Amy stifled a chuckle. "So how long have the two of them been an item?" She asked Harry quietly as she leaned in next to him.

"Er, actually, they aren't," Harry replied similarly sotto voiced. "They just sort of, argue a lot."

"Oh is that the problem is it? Want me to knock some sense into them?"

"What? No, that would only make things worse...I think."

Amy shrugged, "Suit yourself, these things do tend to sort themselves out on their own. So how about you, got a girl you fancy?"

"Uh, er, not really," he stammered as he glanced over at Ginny who was sitting next to Dean.

"So the ginger then?" Amy asked as she followed his gaze. Harry could only nod. "Good choice, she's quite pretty. Does she know?"

Harry felt his face turn red. "No," he muttered, "she's with Dean." He stared intensely at his plate.

Amy looked back at Ginny and saw her stealing a glance at Harry. "Well I think you should tell her. I happen to know for a face that red heads go mad for scrawny blokes with rubbish hair. Isn't that right Rory?" She asked to her husband in an exaggerated voice.

Rory's attention was pulled away from the hall's ceiling. "What? Yes, of course," he said in a way that indicated he had no clue what she was talking about.

"I was just telling Harry here how you're two thousand years old," she said loudly.

Everyone stared at Rory in amazement. "Er, I'm not really, I just kind of remember two thousand years...sometimes...the universe...it's a long story."

"Why are you sitting here anyway?" Hermione pointedly asked. "Why aren't you up with Dumbledore and the others."

"That's the adult table, isn't it?" Amy countered. "And as we've already established Rory and I are not adults, I'm only eight after all...or maybe nine."

Amy thought back to the conversation she and Rory had with the Doctor the previous night. "Amy, Rory I want you to find out everything you can about that boy Harry." The Doctor instructed them after Dumbledore left them at their rooms. "He's a fixed point in time, don't ask how I know I just do, Time Lord thing. That's a rare thing for a person. Even more rare for someone I know nothing about. So get me information. I'm going to be running around this place looking for Daleks, Cybermen, Jidoon, Sontarans, or who knows what so I need you two to do this for me."

Amy's reverie was broken by Dumbledore's voice cutting through the hall. "If I could have your attention please? I have two announcements to make." The hall quieted down as Dumbledore spoke. "The first is that, as the Gryffindors are no doubt already aware, there is a new addition to the their common room. Please note that this box is out of bounds and all students are forbidden from tying to open it. The second, and completely unrelated, announcement is that we have guests visiting Hogwarts. I am please to introduce..." He paused and looked down at the Doctor who whispered something to Dumbledore. "Doctor John Smith. The good Doctor is an expert and will be walking the grounds the next few days with his associates, Ms. Pond and Mr. Williams. Please provide them all the courtesy and respect you would give a Hogwarts faculty member. I thank-you for your cooperation in this matter." Dumbledore returned to his seat and the hall started to buzz over the newest development in life at Hogwarts.

"That doesn't seem like it will discourage anyone from snooping," Rory noted.

"That's Dumbledore's way," Hermione replied. "I think he does it on purpose to entice us to figure things out on our own."

"Yeah normally that would be enough to send Hermione into the library," Ron said. "And Harry for his.." A swift kick in the shins from Hermione cut Ron off before he could mention the invisibility cloak.

"For his what?" Rory asked.

"Oh harry does all his thinking when flying on his broom," Hermione replied quickly. "Don't you Harry?"

"Uh yeah, exactly, nothing like the wind in your hair to stimulate the old brain," Harry said as he followed Hermione's lead.

Before Amy or Rory could ask about the broom, Hermione stood up from the table. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have to go to class." Ron and Harry hastily shoved the rest of their breakfasts into their mouths before dashing off after Hermione.

Rory looked over at his wife. "I think they're onto us."

"Oh shut it."

"What was that all about Hermione?" Ron asked as they made their way through Hogwarts. "We don't have class yet."

"I know, but I wanted to get away from those two, it felt like they were after something."

"You don't trust them?"

"I didn't say that, but how much do we know about them? I don't think it's prudent to tell them too much until we know for sure they can be trusted. What do you think Harry?"

Harry took a moment before replying. "I think they just wanted to get to know us better, but you're right, I want to know more about them, especially the Doctor, and I don't think they'll just answer our questions."

Ron sighed, "So it's off to the library then?"

"Cheer up Ron," Harry said.

"What's to be cheerful about?"

"Well you won't be in the library long because you'll have class soon enough." Harry and Hermione laughed at their friend's discomfort as they continued towards the library. None of them noticed a small, shadowy form stand up and skitter across the hall.

"You let them walk away?" The Doctor shouted at Amy and Rory. They were meeting in an empty classroom. The Doctor was pacing at the front of the room while Rory sat at one of the student's desks and Amy lounged on top of the teacher's desk.

"They said they had class!" Amy protested. She hopped off the desk and stood in the Doctor's path. "We could hardly pump them for information with a teacher glaring at us." She jabbed an index finger into the Doctor's chest to accentuate her point.

The Doctor took a deep breath. "No, of course, you're right Pond."

Amy returned to her perch on the desk. "What's your problem anyway, you seem on edge."

The Doctor looked around the room, "I taught in a place like this once...well not really like this place, but the atmosphere was the same."

"What do you mean?"

"War is coming, everyone here knows it, it's this great whomping tension right under the surface. Just like back then..." The Doctor shook his head as if banishing an unwanted thought. "Though that does remind me of another time I taught at a school. We should check the kitchen, there might be something in the food...no, I didn't taste Krillatine oil at breakfast. Well, there's only one thing to do."

"What?" 

"Run around and sonic things until I hit on the answer," the Doctor said as he pulled the screwdriver out of his pocket.

"And what do we do?"

The Doctor walked towards the door. "This is a school, there's got to be a library. Go read a book, I bet you'll find loads of information there."

"Doctor wait, you said before that Harry is a fixed point in time, what does that mean?" Rory asked.

"Certain events, and people are so important that they cannot be altered. Whatever that boy Harry is going to do it is important, save the world important. I'd like to know what that is."

"He kills the dark wizard who murdered his parents," Amy said. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Perhaps, but there's something else to it, something I can't quite put my finger on. Go find out the circumstances behind his parents' deaths."

"Do you really think that's important?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but it does give you something to do." The Doctor flashed them a quick smile then dashed out of the classroom.

"I knew it, this is just busywork!" Amy fumed.

"Yeah well, what else are we going to do, watch pictures move around?" Rory pointed out.

"I'm sure we could think of something," Amy said suggestively.

"But this is a school!"

"I know, but we never got the chance when we were that age, and I figured we could see what we missed out on."

"You will be the death of me," Rory said with a chuckle.

"And then I'll bring you back to life and have another go," Amy shot back. "I've done it before."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Rory asked as they walked out of the classroom.

"Maybe both." A flash of red hair in the corner of her eye pulled Amy's attention away from her husband. "Hold that thought yeah? Better yet, you go on ahead to the library, I'll meet you there."

"But..." Rory protested.

"Later," Amy said insistently. "I want to check up on something ok?" Rory nodded his understanding and Amy jogged off in the direction she had seen the red hair go. It did not take her long to find a petite redheaded girl sitting by herself on the top step of a staircase. Amy recognized the girl as the one Harry pointed out at breakfast. "Is this seat taken?" Amy asked the girl as she sat down next to her.

"You're that woman who was talking to Harry, Hermione and my brother at breakfast aren't you?"

"That I am, Amy Pond at your service. I should've guessed you were Ron's little sister."

"We do stand out. My name's Ginny by the way."

"Nice to meet you Ginny. Now what's your problem? You look down."

"It's nothing that would interest you," Ginny replied.

"You'd be surprised what interests me."

"Compared to what Harry...what we've all been through lately it just seems so petty."

"Have you seen reality unravel?" Ginny shook her head. "Well I have, so I think that makes me the authority on what is and isn't important. Now out with it."

Ginny sighed, "If you must know...I had a fight with my boyfriend."

"Well that does sound serious."

"It's not that Dean's a bad guy, he's just too...overprotective...I don't need him to hold every door open for me. I was at the Ministry with Harry and the others last year, I can take care of myself."

"That's the spirit, don't take guff from anyone, and if he doesn't like that then tell him to shove off and find yourself a bloke who does." Amy reached out and hugged Ginny.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Have to, you're a fellow member of the sisterhood." Amy waved a lock of her hair at Ginny. "We've got to stick together now don't we?"

"I suppose we do at that," Ginny said as a smile started to form on her face. She then noticed something scuttle across the hall. "What is that?"

Amy turned and saw what looked like a mechanical spider. "No clue, but I doubt it's anything good."

Ginny drew her wand and immobilized it with a quick Petrificus Totalus. She and Amy got up and examined the artificial spider. "I've never seen anything like this," Ginny said as she looked over the exposed circuitry.

"Neither have I, but I know who might. Come on." Amy paused. "Is there anyway you can, I don't know, levitate that thing? Might not be safe to touch." Ginny nodded, and with a swish and flick the robotic spider was floating in the air. "Cute trick, now which way to the library."

A/N: I will not lie, Ginny and Amy meeting was one of the lynchpin concepts behind this story. To everyone who's read so far, thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

Collapse Into Now

A Doctor Who/Harry Potter Crossover

By: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: All the characters and setting depicted below belong to other people.

Spoilers: Collapse Into Now is set during Half Blood Prince and between A Christmas Carol and Impossible Astronaut. Obviously, for the purposes of this story, The Shakespeare Code is being ignored

Chapter 4:

The Doctor walked down one of the many corridors in Hogwarts, his sonic screwdriver whiring away as he ran it over every surface in the hall.

"Are you looking for nargles?" A quiet, dreamy voice asked.

The Doctor spun around and found himself facing a short, blonde girl with an almost surprised expression on her face. "Why, should I be?" He asked intently.

"Oh yes, nargles are nothing but trouble," she leaned in closer to the Doctor. "They steal your shoes. But I don't think there are any nargles in here, no mistletoe. There could be wrackspurts though, they're invisible."

"It's lucky I have this then," the Doctor held up his screwdriver. "It's brilliant at finding hidden things."

"That's a funny looking screwdriver."

"How'd you know it's a screwdriver?"

"It is isn't it?"

"Of course it is, but most of you humans never figure that out."

"I guess I'm not most humans."

"Apparently not, what's your name?"

"Luna Lovegood."

"Luna Lovegood, that's a brilliant name, Luna Lovegood," The Doctor let Luna's name roll off his tongue. "I'm the Doctor Luna, very nice to meet you."

"I know, I saw you at breakfast this morning. Why are you here? I know it's not for nargles or wrackspurts."

"But that's just it, it could be nargles or wrackspurts, I really don't know why..." the Doctor's voice trailed off and he stood there with his mouth hanging open.

"Doctor? Did a wrackspurt get you?"

"Of course, that's it!" The Doctor exclaimed as he snapped out of his daze. "Luna Lovegood you are brilliant!" He bent down and kissed Luna on her forehead. "Can you show me which way to the library?"

Hermione sat by herself at a table in the Hogwarts' library, books piled high around her. Harry and Ron walked up to the table each carrying additional armfuls of books which they deposited on the table.

"Find anything yet?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Yes, no...maybe," Hermione exhaled in frustration. "There's something here, it's just hidden. Snatches all across history, but nothing solid. I could be at this for months and I still wouldn't have the complete story."

"Well this is the entire Muggle history section and a good chunk of the magical one too," Harry said. "Is there anything in there that might be useful?"

Hermione glared at Harry. "It seems this Doctor is considered by some to be the Muggle version of the Grim. Wherever he goes tragedy seems to follow."

"Or he shows up where historic events occur because...well he has a time machine, and they're historic events."

"Blimey, if I had a time machine I'd do more than just watch," Ron said.

Hermione shook her head. "It doesn't work that way Ronald, the past is the past, and you can't change it."

"But you two did when you saved Sirius and Buckbeak!"

"No we didn't. Everything we did with the time turner happened at the same time we experienced the 'first' time."

"I don't get it."

"There was no do-over. Harry saved himself and Sirius, and Buckbeak never died. We didn't change anything because we'd already gone back in time and saved them." Hermione paused. "I think I just gave myself a headache."

"You must be talking about time travel then," Rory said as he walked up to the group's table with Neville in tow. "Oh, I'm not following you, the er, Doctor wanted me to look up, uh, something."

"He asked me where the library was," Neville said to no one in particular.

"And thanks for that," Rory replied. Neville muttered something about herbology and hurried off. Rory glanced down at the book in front of Hermione. "Looking for information about the Doctor then?"

"Wouldn't you?" Hermione shot back.

"Actually, that's why I'm here. The Doctor wants to know more about Harry. You don't seem very surprised by that."

Harry shrugged, "It comes with the scar. What do you want to know?"

Rory shrugged, "I don't know precisely, the Doctor just said you were special, you were there for that I guess. We know about the prophecy."

"Dumbledore told you that?" Hermione asked.

"The Doctor sort of figured that part out on his own," Rory allowed. "He's also very insistent Amy and I find out all we can about you."

"What more does he need to know?" Harry demanded.

"I'm not rightly sure," Rory admitted. "The Doctor..."

"Did somebody say my name?" The Doctor asked as he bustled up to the table. "Good you three are here," He paused to count heads. "Where's Amy? Never mind we can catch her up later. I figured it out! And Harry, you were right!"

"Er what?"

"Last night, you asked the most important question, only I didn't see it because I'm used to being able to go wherever I want Sometimes I can be a little too clever for my own good. Forest, trees and all that. It didn't occur to me until I meet the most brilliant girl," the Doctor trailed off. "Where did she go?" He glaced around until he saw who he was looking for. "Luna, come over here."

"Luna, brilliant?" Hermione asked, a little too tartly for even her liking if the blush that crept up her face was any indication.

"What did you do Luna?" Harry asked.

Luna shrugged "I asked why he was here."

"Exactly," the Doctor said. "The same question you and Dumbledore asked. Why am I here?"

"Well why?"

"You're looking for a reason, the question is the answer. Why am I here? In both our extensive histories I've never once been here, never once crossed paths with a wizard or witch, never been aware that you even existed. And do you know why? Because you've got a perception filter, a great whacking big one around this school. A field so powerful it can even keep the TARDIS away."

"Wait, if that's true...why are you here?" Hermione asked.

"Now you're getting it. How can I have possibly gotten past that perception filter? Unless..."

"Something is weakening the charms around the school!" Hermione said as she caught up with the Doctor's thinking.

"Brilliant!" The Doctor shouted. "Something is draining the perception filter! You're quite clever for someone clinging to superstitions." Hermione's eyes blazed in anger but the Doctor continued on. "Now the only questions left are who and how?"

"Er, Doctor?" Rory said.

"Yes, what?"

"We're in a library, you might want to keep it down."

"Yes, right, sorry about that," the Doctor said in a quieter voice.

"How can something drain the charms around Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Simple really, it's just energy, and energy can be drained."

"But why would someone do that?" Harry paused. "It's to get at me isn't it? Voldemort is trying to destroy the barriers protecting Hogwarts to get to me."

"Not even Voldemort has that much power Harry," Hermione replied. "Besides, if he wanted to get you he would just attack with his Death Eaters. The charms around Hogwarts are there mostly to protect from Apparition and Muggles entering the school grounds."

"You're right and wrong," the Doctor said. "I'm inclined to agree this doesn't involve your Lord Voldemort, but I'm afraid whoever is responsible, it's Harry they're after. I told you before you're special Harry and you really are. History literally bends around you. That's a power as great and terrible as all your 'magic.'" Hermione rolled her eyes at the Doctor's air quotes. "If something was to happen to your time stream it could..." the Doctor trailed off. "I need a pen and paper." Ron handed him a quill which the Doctor stared at for a moment before he began scribbling figures on a piece of scroll. "Right, as I thought, the resulting explosion would destroy the Earth."

"Who'd want to do that?" Ron demanded.

"Aliens of course, probably looking to harvest the resulting temporal energy for who knows what. Get this through your heads, in the grand scheme of things your planet isn't even a speck. There are a multitude of alien races out there that would love to chop this planet up for scrap. Fortunately, I'm here, and I quite like this place."

"So you have a plan then?"

The Doctor stared at Ron. "A plan, of course I have a plan. Well, not so much a plan really as a general outline. Best not to have plans, they always go wrong. Ah, here's Amy, and she's brought a friend," he observed as Amy and Ginny hurried up to the table.

"Doctor, we had something, have a look," Amy said. Ginny dropped the robotic spider onto the table.

"Oh this is brilliant!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Why isn't it moving?"

"I hexed it," Ginny answered.

"You hexed it, of course," the Doctor muttered before examining the spider with the sonic.

"Well, what is it?" Amy asked.

"It's a robot spider, what does it look like?" the Doctor snapped.

"I knew that, but what's it doing?"

"Absorbing, it absorbs energy. This little beauty is an energy sponge. And it's sucking up the energy around it. Someone has sent an army of these things loose on your school."

"So this is what is allegedly draining the shield charms?" Hermione asked.

"Yes."

"And if it does absorb magic, why is it still affected by Ginny's hex?"

"Oh that's an excellent question," the Doctor pointed the sonic at the spider again. "Ah, of course, it can only siphon off small amounts at a time. Which means right about..." The spider jumped up from the table and started to scamper off. The Doctor aimed the sonic at the robot and it quickly crashed back to the ground. The Doctor picked it up and licked on the spider's legs. "Yep, definitely not from this planet, but from where? It's not Dalek, Cyber, Sontaran...it's not anyone I know." The Doctor tapped the screwdriver against his forehead. "Only one way to find out for sure." He jabbed the sonic into the spider and it sprung back to life, skittering out of the library.

"It got away!" Harry exclaimed.

"Good riddance if you ask me," Ron said.

"It didn't get away, I let it get away, there is a difference," the Doctor pointed out. "Namely, that I can track it." He raised the sonic and flicked it on. "Come along Pond, Rory."

"Not so fast," Hermione said sharply. "We're going with you."

"Don't you have class?" Rory asked.

"You said something out there wants to blow up the planet. I think that's a legitimate reason to skive off from class," Ron said.

"Of course they can come, they know the grounds after all," the Doctor said.

"But they're just kids!" Rory protested.

The Doctor stared at Harry. "No, they're not just kids, and they're coming with us. Quickly now or we're going to lose the signal!" The Doctor scampered out of the library with the rest of the group in tow. Ron turned to Ginny to tell her to stay behind, but the threatening look from his sister silenced any protest he might have.

-End Chapter Four

A/N: I didn't realize how slight I'd written this chapter until now. Ah well, it served its purpose, giving us a scene with Luna and the Doctor (another of those sequences I had to write), and advances the plot. The goal for this story was to follow the basic beats of an episode of Who, and I think on the whole, it will accomplish that. Again, thanks to everyone who's read, and more thanks to the people who left a kind word, and I don't mind unkind words either.

-sam


	5. Chapter 5

Collapse Into Now

A Doctor Who/Harry Potter Crossover

By: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: All the characters and setting depicted below belong to other people.

Spoilers: Collapse Into Now is set during Half Blood Prince and between A Christmas Carol and Impossible Astronaut. Obviously, for the purposes of this story, The Shakespeare Code is being ignored

Chapter 5

"Doctor, wait up a moment!" Hermione called out in exasperation.

"Yes, what is it?" The Doctor snapped as he came to a stop. "We don't exactly have time to dawdle."

"It's just...shouldn't we tell Dumbledore?"

"Yes, I suppose we should, Luna you're clever. Could you please run off and tell Dumbledore what we're up to? No wait, not yet, let's find out where we're going first." He checked the sonic. "Blast it's out of range...wait the TARDIS!" The Doctor spun on his heels and ran towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Password please," the Fat Lady asked. Without breaking stride the Doctor pointed the screwdriver at the portrait which swung open over the protestations of the Fat Lady. "Why I never!" She exclaimed as the Doctor and the others piled through the door.

"Stand back everyone, Time Lord coming through!" The Doctor shouted at the cluster of Gryffindors standing around the TARDIS. The Doctor opened the time machine and ushered the others inside before slamming the door shut.

Harry and the others looked around at the control room. "So you've placed an extensible charm on the inside of the box, very clever," Hermione said.

"It's not a charm!" The Doctor huffed as he walked up to the control console. "The TARDIS is dimensionally transcendent. Completely different." He jammed the screwdriver into the console, flipped a lever and swung the monitor in front of his face. "Ah here we go, our little friend is running off into a forest on the outskirts of the school grounds."

"The Forbidden Forest?" Ron asked.

"Ooh, Forbidden Forest, I quite like the sound of that." The Doctor slammed down another lever. "Of we go, next stop, the Forbidden Forest!"

The TARDIS began to violently shudder sending the unsuspecting Hogwarts students crashing into the railing. "Hell of a way to travel," Ron said to Harry.

Harry looked over and saw the expression of unabashed joy on the Doctor's face. "I dunno, doesn't seem much worse than apparating, floo or portkey.

The TARDIS came to a stop with a sudden thud and the Doctor ran over to the doors. "Now lets take a look at whatever is behind all this." He threw open the doors and was met with an empty field in the woods. "Ah."

"I thought you said something was here?" Hermione asked.

"I did, and there is...it's just..hidden." The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and began waving the sonic around. Amy and Rory followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS and began to cuatiously explore the glade.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Rory asked.

"A ship, most likely cloaked."

Rory glanced over at the Doctor. "Well that's useful," he observed before crashing into what felt like a brick wall.

"Rory!" Amy shouted. "Are you ok?"

Rory sat up, "I'll be fine," he muttered.

"Way to go Rory! That's using the old bean." The Doctor excitedly said as he began scanning the space in front of Rory. "Yep, definitely a ship." He adjusted a setting on the sonic and the air in front of them split open. "Alright, who wants to check out a real live alien spaceship?"

"Weren't we just on an alien spaceship?" Harry asked.

"This one will be more alieny I'm sure," the Doctor replied.

"Is it dangerous?" Ginny asked.

"Oh probably. Why are you scared?"

Ginny squared her shoulders, "No."

"Then I'm glad one of us isn't."

Hermione turned to face Luna. "Luna, we need you to go back to the school and tell Dumbledore where we are, can you do that for me?"

Luna nodded, "Of course Hermione."

Hermione reached down and squeezed Luna's hand. "Thank-you Luna." Luna nodded and ran off towards the school.

"You know, if you wanted to let Dumbledore know that badly you could have gone yourself," the Doctor pointed out.

Hermione glared at the Doctor, "I don't abandon my friends."

The Doctor gave a slight shrug. "Fair enough. Now hurry along time is wasting," he told the group as he dashed into the ship, Amy and Rory close behind.

"Ginny," Ron said.

"Ron," Ginny replied and raised her wand at her brother. Ron held up his hands in surrender and the four Hogwarts students entered the ship, their wands at the ready.

"It's about what I expected," Harry said as he examined their high tech surroundings. The door behind them snapped shut causing the foursome to spin around.

"That can't be good," Ron noted.

"Are you lot done dawdling?" The Doctor called out from down the hallway. "There's work to be done!" The four teens looked at each other then dashed down the hallway.

The hall emptied out into a large ceilinged room filled with impossibly high tech looking devices. All around the room robotic spiders identical to the one Ginny captured skittered around. Ron started to take a step back, but Hermione grabbed his arm and didn't let him move.

"Honestly Ron, they aren't even real."

"They look real enough to me."

Harry edged his way around the room to where Amy, the Doctor and Rory were standing. "Uh Doctor, maybe it's just me, but where are the aliens?"

"Now that's a very perceptive question Harry, there aren't any. This ship is completely automated. Probably to help get past the perception filters surrounding the school." The Doctor waved the sonic over a nearby computer panel. "They're offloading the absorbed energy into these cells...oh dear.."

"What?" Amy demanded.

"The entire ship is a bomb, once it's collected enough energy it explodes with enough force to wipe out this forest, shatter whatever barriers remain around the school, and quite possibly destroy Hogwarts itself."

"Then turn it off!" Harry shouted.

"It's not that simple," the Doctor replied as he stared at the panel. "The system is locked. If anyone tries to turn it off...boom." He mimed an explosion with his hands.

"And that would be bad."

"Bad for us certainly, but not to worry I have a plan!" Amy, Harry and Rory all stared at the Doctor. "Well alright, not a plan, but an outline. See, if we can't turn off the collection cells we can turn off the collectors. No collectors, no more energy into the system, no boom."

"But then what about the ship? You can't just leave a bomb laying about in the Forbidden Forest!"

"Well it is already forbidden..." Amy swatted the Doctor on the shoulder. "I suppose I can use the TARDIS to pull it into the sun, or something."

"And you're sure that's not going to set off some other alarms, yeah?" Rory asked.

"Fairly sure...well, pretty sure...well...I have no idea, but I am very good with this sort of thing." Amy and Rory continued to stare at the Doctor. "Oh alright, I'll check, don't you people trust me? On second thought, don't answer that." He pointed the sonic at the panel and scanned it again. "As I thought, no security on the drones, well none that matters to me." He began to tap keys on the panel.

"Doctor!" Hermione shouted from across the room.

"Not now, I'm busy!" The Doctor shot back as he continued to fuss with the panel.

"Hermione's right, you want to look at this," Ron said.

"Oh for heaven's..." the Doctor growled in frustration as he turned around. "Ah..."

The robot spiders that had been scurrying into and out of the containment vessels were now running into the middle of the room to form a much large humanoid shaped robot. "Threat detected," the robot announced. "Begin threat neutralization protocols."

"Oh that doesn't sound good. Oi, you lot!' The Doctor shouted at Hermione, Ginny and Ron. "Could you distract that thing while I figure out how to stop it?"

"Doctor, children," Rory protested.

"With wands!" The Doctor shot back.

"Reducto!" Ginny shouted as she unleashed a bolt of blue energy at the robot with her wand. The powerful curse hit the robot square in the chest, causing it to shatter into tiny pieces.

"Ginny, that was brilliant!" Harry said as he ran over to his friends to congratulate Ginny. He grabbed her hand, but quickly let go of it.

"You really shouldn't have done that Ginny," Hermione said. "The Doctor said they absorb energy, isn't that right Doctor?"

The Doctor nodded, "I did, and they do, clever girl."

"But what does that mean?" Ron asked. "Ginny just blew it up!"

"No she didn't," Hermione replied. She pointed at the pieces of the robot lying on the floor as they started to stir and reform.

"Bloody hell," Ron breathed. "Got any bright ideas how to stop it?"

"None at the moment," Hermione allowed.

"I might," Harry said. "But we need to get that thing's attention."

"Don't think that will be much of a problem mate," Ron replied as the robot advanced on the foursome. "So what do we do next?"

"That part's easy, run!" Harry fired an impediment curse at the robot before turning and running towards the exit with the other three Hogwarts students following close on his heels. The guardian shrugged off the curse and chased after them.

"Clever boy," the Doctor said before turning his attention back to the control console.

"Aren't you going to help them?" Amy demanded.

"I am helping them," the Doctor snapped. "The sooner I take control of this the sooner that robot isn't a threat."

"Then what are you talking to me for? Get cracking there mister!" Amy shouted at the Doctor.

"Ok Harry, we got it outside, now what?" Ron asked with trepidation. The guardian robot was fighting its way out of an Incarceratus charm placed on it by Hermione. They had blasted their way out of the ship and were facing off with the robot in the glade.

"Just think about it Ron, our spells don't have any effect."

"But our spells can affect other things!" Hermione exclaimed. "Brilliant Harry!" She fired a blasting curse at a nearby boulder and then levitated the debris at the robot. The stones crashed into the robot, staggering it.

"Ginny, Ron, aim below it!" Harry shouted.

The Weasley siblings unleashed simultaneous blasting curses at the ground below the robot, opening up a large hole in the ground. The robot tipped and fell into the hole. With a flick of his wand Harry lifted a fallen log and dropped it on the top of the robot. Hermione followed suit by piling on nearby rocks.

"Will that be enough to hold it?" Ron wondered as they added more debris to the impromptu cairn.

"At least we're slowing it down," Ginny pointed out.

"If only we had some Muggle explosives," Hermione wistfully said as the cairn began to shake.

"Everybody get back!" Harry ordered before the cairn erupted sending debris flying.

"Why won't this thing just stop!" Ginny yelled in frustration as she cast a jinx at the robot as it climbed out of the hole. It staggered backwards and blue sparks ripped across its body.

"That's it!" Hermione exclaimed. "Cast every spell you know at that thing."

"But that's what we've been doing!" Ron protested.

"Just trust me Ronald," Hermione snapped.

The four teens peppered the robot with with every curse, charm, jinx and hex they could think of. The robot continued to fall backwards and large bolts of blue energy arced across its body. With a final "Stupify!" the robot ground to a complete halt and began to violently shake.

"I…think we need to run," Hermione said as she turned and sprinted towards the cover of a nearby tree.

Ginny, Harry and Ron followed Hermione's lead. Harry paused only to cast a shield charm between them and the exploding robot. This proved to be a fortuitous decision because the robot detonated with tremendous force before they reached the safety of cover. The blast wave hit the shield charm causing it to buckle, then fail with such force that it knocked them off their feet.

"Is everyone alright?" Harry asked as he picked himself up off the ground.

"We're all fine Harry," Hermione replied.

"That was some quick thinking mate," Ron said. "You too Hermione, how did you possibly know that would work?"

"The Doctor said they absorb magic right? I figured there would be a limit to how much they could store," Hermione replied. "I just didn't think the result would be that explosive."

"Still, it was brilliant," Ron enthused.

"We should go see how the Doctor and the others are getting on," Harry said as he helped Ginny back onto her feet.

"I think we might have over done it a bit," Ginny commented and pointed towards the ship. The others turned around and saw that the force of the blast had not only knocked out the perception filter, but left a large dent in the side of the ship now facing them.

"Oh dear," Hermione breathed. "I hope they're alright."

-End Chapter Five

A/N: Action time! On a more serious note, my hats are off to the people who write Doctor Who for real, it's incredibly difficult to write dialog between him and the companions that doesn't just turn into big messes of exposition. Granted that's the whole point of the companions, but it gets incredibly boring to write "Amy asks" a bajillion times over. Two chapters left, thanks everyone for reading, and special thanks for the kinds words left.


	6. Chapter 6

Collapse Into Now

A Doctor Who/Harry Potter Crossover

By: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: All the characters and setting depicted below belong to other people.

Spoilers: Collapse Into Now is set during Half Blood Prince and between A Christmas Carol and Impossible Astronaut. Obviously, for the purposes of this story, The Shakespeare Code is being ignored.

Chapter 6:

Amy and Rory stood behind the Doctor and nervously looked over his shoulder as he attempted to hack the shape ship's computer.

"Would you stop doing that!" the Doctor shouted. "It's very hard to concentrate when people are looming over you."

"D'you reckon there are any more of those…things about?" Rory asked.

"I have an idea, why don't you take your wife and find out!"

"And what happens if we do find any?"

"I don't know, run away maybe?"

Amy grabbed Rory's arm and dragged him away from the Doctor, "C'mon Rory, he's just being difficult because a computer's outsmarting him."

The Doctor stopped and turned to face Amy. "I most certainly am not being outsmarted!"

"Then what's the hold up? Normally you just," she mimed waiving a sonic screwdriver around, "and that's it."

"Ah right, well this system is a bit trickier, actually a lot trickier. Which is curious enough in and of itself, because I can't say I've ever seen technology quite like this. The parts are familiar, but never put together in this specific way…" The Doctor's voice trailed off and he tapped the screwdriver agains his temple. "The firewall is based on Sontaran…" he began muttering to himself. Amy sighed and continued to drag Rory over to the other side of the room.

They had not gotten far when the ship was suddenly rocked by a large explosion. "Ok, what was that?" Rory asked in exasperation.

"Doctor?" Amy shouted.

"Something just blew up," the Doctor replied. "More specifically, I think Mr. Potter and his friends managed to deal with that monstrosity." The panel in front of the Doctor chirped. "Would you look at that," the Doctor said, his expression lightening. "The blast knocked out the security protocols." As he read over the display however his face fell. "No, no no no no!" he shouted and redoubled his efforts. Klaxons began to sound.

Rory and Amy rushed back over to the Doctor. "Don't tell me, that explosion started a feedback loop that's going to blow up the ship and half the school," Rory said.

The Doctor stared at Rory for a moment. "Alright then. Amy, the explosion started a feedback loop…"

"Yea I got that part, now what are you doing to do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Can't you stop it?"

"No I can't stop it. It's a runaway feedback loop, you can't just turn that off!" The Doctor snapped. "But if I can get control of the ship's navigation…no, whoever put this ship here fused the drive core and there's not enough time to restore it."

"How much time do we have before kaboom?" Rory asked.

"Enough time for you to get Amy to the TARDIS, you should be safe enough in there, and be sure to find Harry and his friends too. It'd be a shame if all our work here to protect him was for naught."

"We're not leaving you," Amy said. "So figure something else out."

"Doctor, Amy, Rory, are you all right?" Harry called out as he and the other students rushed back into the room.

"Yes, we're fine," the Doctor replied snippishly. "No thanks to you lot I reckon. What did you do?"

"We overloaded the robot's ability to absorb magic," Hermione replied. "I think we overdid it a bit."

"A bit! You just caused the entire ship to explode. Mind you that was properly brilliant, but still…hang on, if you caused that very large energy collector to explode, how are you four still standing?"

"I…er, cast a shield charm," Harry said. "It took the brunt of the explosion."

"A shield charm." The Doctor slapped his forehead. "Of course, a shield. If we can't fly the ship we can contain the explosion."

"But that's impossible," Hermione protested. "Not even Dumbledore could cast a shield charm strong enough to hold back an explosion as strong as you say this will be."

"Nothing's impossible, I'd think you'd know that Ms Magical know-it-all. All we have to do is get you more power. Quickly now, everybody outside. We haven't got much time left." The Doctor hurried the group out of the ship. The walls around them started to spark and explode.

"You said something about more power?" Harry prompted after they exited the ship.

"Yes, I need all of you to show me your wands, quickly!" the Doctor ordered. Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron did as they were told and the Doctor waved the sonic screwdriver over their wands. "There, I've linked your wands to the TARDIS, it has more than enough power for the job."

"Are you sure?" Ron asked dubiously, "It doesn't feel different."

"Of course I'm sure, now quickly go surround the ship and cast a…shield charm over it, and hurry!" Harry and the others nodded their understanding and ran to get into position.

"This is absolutely mental," Ron told Harry.

"We've done stranger things," Harry replied, "but only just. Good luck Ron." He told his friend as he came to a stop at his assigned spot.

"You too mate," Ron replied.

Harry looked down at his wand. Ron was right, it didn't feel any different. "Don't have much choice but to trust the Doctor on this one," he muttered to himself before casting the shield charm over the ship. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Hermione and Ron had done the same. Ginny was on the opposite side of the ship, but Harry assumed she had also cast the charm.

They did not have to wait long to see if the Doctor's modifications to their wands was successful. The surface of the spaceship beacon to bulge and ripple before disappearing in a massive fireball. The explosion smashed into the layered shield charms. Harry could feel the force of the blast press against the shields and for a split second he thought they couldn't stand up. The wards did hold though and the blast wave rebounded on itself, slamming into the ground with such force that it knocked all of them to their feet.

"Blimey, I think they felt that all the way to London," Ron said as he picked himself back up.

"Is everyone alright?" the Doctor called out. Harry saw Rory helping his wife up and Hermione was already dusting herself off. He looked over in Ginny's direction and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her standing up.

"I think we're all fine Doctor," Rory replied.

"But we might've overdone things a tad," Amy said as she looked at the large hole in the ground. "How far down d'you reckon it goes?" She cautiously edged over to the lip of the crater.

"Probably deep enough to visit our Silurian friends," the Doctor replied. Amy quickly backed away from the edge

"What's a Silurian?" Hermione asked.

"Subterranean lizard people," Rory replied.

"Very ill-tempered lizard subterranean people," Amy added.

"Probably nothing to worry about though," the Doctor commented. "I doubt that blast was powerful enough to wake them. Still best to tell Dumbledore to keep an eye out." The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Putting that aside, fantastic work you four. You saved your planet!"

"We couldn't have done it without your help Doctor," Harry pointed out.

"And I couldn't without yours Harry," the Doctor countered. "Or you Hermione, you have the potential to be properly clever."

Hermione rolled her eyes at the Doctor's backhanded compliment. "What's to stop whoever was it was who did this from trying again?" she asked.

The Doctor took a long moment before replying. "It took a quite a while to set all this up, and I don't think there is going to be enough time for them to rebuild."

"What's that mean?" Ginny asked.

"It means Harry isn't going to be a fixed point in time for much longer," the Doctor explained. "but you already knew that, didn't you Harry?"

Harry nodded, "So after I face Voldemort for the last time?"

"You'll be a free man," the Doctor said.

"Assuming I can stop him."

The Doctor looked pensive. "You all helped me a great deal, and I think that entitles you to a reward. What do you say to a quick trip in the TARDIS? Go anywhere, see any time. Come on, it will be fun." The Doctor ushered them all into the TARDIS. "So then, where should we go?" The Doctor asked as he pushed buttons on the TARDIS control console. "All of space, all of time." He glanced over at Harry. "And I knew just the place." He slammed down a lever and the TARDIS lurched into action.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as she clutched onto the guard rail.

"It's a surprise," the Doctor replied. The TARDIS came to a stop and the Doctor strode over to the exit. "Come along Harry, I especially want you to see this," the Doctor said before throwing open the doors.

With some trepidation Harry followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS and found himself in, "Piccadilly Circus?" he said in disbelief. "All of space and time and you show us London?"

"Harry," Hermione said. "This isn't 'our' Piccadilly Circus." She stared at the glowing LED signage. "The signs are different."

"Precisely, we're in the future, the year 2010 to be exact."

"But why take us here?" Ron asked as he gawked at the pedestrians walking past with mobile headsets, appearing to talk into thin air.

"Because I wanted you to see that it's all worth it. Look around, all these people living their lives, does this look like a world ruled by your Lord Voldemort? I don't know how your story ends Harry, and if I did I couldn't tell you, but I've seen your planet's future and it doesn't include any dark wizards."

Harry took in the sights, the garish billboards, the crush of people. "So in the end, it's all worth it?"

The Doctor squeezed Harry's shoulder, "Yes it's worth it. Right, back into the TARDIS everyone, wouldn't do to have you bump into your future selves, could erase time, forwards and backwards." The Doctor made sure the group was inside the TARDIS before he turned and waved at a dark haired, bespectacled man who had been standing a short distance away. The man waved back and pointed a petite red-haired woman standing next to him. The Doctor gave the couple a thumbs-up before entered the TARDIS himself.

The TARDIS rematerialized in the Hogwarts courtyard and the group exited the time machine. "You'd best go tell Dumbledore what happened," the Doctor told Harry. "but you can leave out Piccadilly Circus if you'd like."

"So this is goodbye then?" Harry asked.

The Doctor nodded, "I promised Amy and Rory shellfish and I make good on my promises." The Doctor looked over at Hermione, "Don't forget what I told you, you can be brilliant, just keep an open mind." Hermione sighed dramatically, but she still gave the Doctor a quick hug.

Amy leaned over and gave Ginny a strong embrace. "Keep an eye on Harry for me ok?" She whispered into Ginny's ear. "And don't take any guff from that boyfriend of yours, if you ask me, I think you can do better."

Ginny laughed, "I'll keep that in mind, and thanks"

"Of course," Amy said in a louder voice, "The Sisterhood has to look out for each other."

Ron and Rory glanced at each other, "Well, good luck to you mate," Rory said stiffly as he held out his hand.

"Same to you," Ron replied as the two shook hands.

"Harry," the Doctor said, "Harry, Harry, Harry. I won't lie to you, it won't be an easy road ahead, but remember what I showed you. There is a future out there, a bright, shining future, remember that, fight for that."

Harry nodded, "I will."

Amy walked over and gave Harry a hug. "Take care of yourself," she then leaned in closer. "And don't give up on Ginny," she whispered into his ear.

Harry's face reddened. "I will, and I won't," he promised Amy.

The time travelers made their way back to the TARDIS. "Will we ever see you again?" Hermione asked.

The Doctor spun around and threw his arms open. "Who knows, that's what makes life fun."

"Feel free to look Rory and I up," Amy called out. "Just be sure to do so after 2010, otherwise it might be confusing to us."

Harry laughed, "I can't even begin to think that far ahead, but sure."

"Take care you four," the Doctor said with a wave.

"You too," Harry replied. The four teens waved as the Doctor closed the TARDIS door and the ship dematerialized. "We should probably go tell Dumbledore what happened," Harry said to his friends.

"D'you reckon we'll ever see them again?" Ron asked as they walked back into the school.

"Yes, in 2011," Ginny said. "Let's all make a promise right now to look them up in 2011."

"That's a great idea Ginny," Harry said. "Let's do that." Hermione and Ron nodded their agreement and they entered the school to recount their strange adventure to Dumbledore.

On board the TARDIS the Doctor was checking some figures when Amy and Rory entered the control room. "Well that was certainly more than than crabs eh Doctor? A whole school of magic, in Scotland no less!"

"I told that boy a lie," the Doctor muttered.

"What?" Amy asked.

"That boy Harry. I went on and on about the future, but didn't tell him what's in his."

"What do you mean?" Rory demanded.

"I noticed it the first time I scanned him with the sonic, he has another psychic pattern latched onto his own. I told you at the start this Rowling Radiation is tricky stuff. Dumbledore would know for sure, but I reckon when that madman tried to kill Harry it left a psychic imprint on the boy."

"I don't see why that means he has to die."

"Because Rowling Radiation, it allows a consciousness to live on in objects, or other people."

"So this madman's…living inside Harry?" Amy asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

"And the only way to get it out of Harry is his death, is that it?" Rory said.

"Yes, that's what Dumbledore didn't want Harry to hear."

"Wait, when you took him to Piccadilly Circus, you weren't trying to convince him he had a future," Amy said. "You were convincing him there was a future."

"What would you have me do? He's a fixed point in time, his death is fixed. You can't change that without causing reality to collapse. All I could do was show him his sacrifice is worth it. I did what I did because it was all I could do for him!" The Doctor paused for a moment. "I can see you're both upset, maybe it'd be best if I just drop you off in Leadworth."

"You're kicking us out of the TARDIS?" Amy asked.

"No, of course not, but don't you think your honeymoon's gone on long enough? Take some time at home, get settled, I have...things I need to check up on on my own anyway. Don't worry, Pond, this isn't good-bye."

The Doctor waved to Amy and Rory before he reentered the TARDIS and sent the ship shipping off to a random point in time. The Doctor wasn't paying attention to his destination. His focus was instead on the data he retrieved from the mystery ship in the Forbidden Forest, and more specifically a single line of text.

"Silence will fall."

The Doctor frowned and switched off the monitor.

-End Chapter Six

A/N: There you have it. One little epilogue and it's all done. Thanks to all the people who've read and reviewed, and the people who just read – people who just review are strange.


	7. Chapter 7

Collapse Into Now

A Doctor Who/Harry Potter Crossover

By: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: All the characters and setting depicted below belong to other people.

Spoilers: Collapse Into Now is set during Half Blood Prince and between A Christmas Carol and Impossible Astronaut. Obviously, for the purposes of this story, The Shakespeare Code is being ignored. This chapter takes place after God Complex, but before the end of The Wedding of River Song, and obviously before the epilogue of Deathly Hallows.

Chapter 7:

2011

The doorbell to Amy and Rory's new home rang incessantly. "I'll get it!" Amy shouted at her husband who was currently occupied in the kitchen. She opened the door and found herself facing a man in his early thirties. There was something about the his's unruly black hair that seemed familiar to Amy, but she could not quite place it. "Can I help you?"

A smile broke out on the man's face, "Merlin, it is you Amy! I knew it would be when I saw the door, but you really haven't aged a day. Not that you would have I suppose, and you probably don't recognize me. The last time we met I was quite a bit younger."

Amy reached out and brushed the man's bangs away from his forehead. "Harry Potter!" She shouted when she saw the distinctive lightning bolt scar. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she pulled him into a hug.

"As I recall you invited us," Harry pointed out. "So I figured I'd pop in and introduce you to my wife."

"You're wife?" Amy asked in disbelief. Harry grinned, and Amy needed no prompting when the petite red-haired woman stepped into view. "Ginny!" Amy exclaimed before hugging the other woman.

"It's good to see you too," Ginny said, returning the hug.

"Where are my manner, come in, come in." She ushered the Potters into the house. "Have a seat, make yourselves at home. Rory, fetch a bottle of wine, the Potters are here!"

Rory entered the living room, "Who are the Potters?" his voice trailed off when he saw Harry and Ginny. "Oh, the Potters, of course, good to see you Harry, Ginny." He ducked back into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine and four glasses.

"So Harry, tell us your story," Amy said. "We thought you, er, had to die."

"How did you know that?" Ginny asked.

"The Doctor figured it out of course," Rory said.

"Why would the Doctor tell you that?" Harry wondered. "He saw me at Piccadilly Circus."

"He what?"

"Hermione worked out the day the Doctor took us to Piccadilly Circus, so we went, and the Doctor saw Ginny and I. He gave us a thumbs up."

"So why would he say you had to die?" Rory wondered.

"Because I did," Harry replied.

"You got better at least," Amy dryly noted.

"You don't seem too surprised.

Amy shrugged, "I brought this bloke back," she shoved Rory in the arm. "after he died and was erased from time, and that was the first, no second time he died. Anyway, you had to die, but that didn't mean you had to stay dead?"

"Something like that, yeah," Harry admitted. "Why don't I explain from the beginning." He then told Amy the story of the Horcruxes, Hallows and the final confrontation with Voldemort.

"That's some story," Amy said after Harry finished, "Almost beats our eh Rory?"

"What I don't understand is if the Doctor knew Harry was going to live, why didn't he tell you?" Ginny asked.

"Rule One, the Doctor lies," Amy replied.

"The Doctor once told me that time's never really set in stone," Rory said. "That outside of certain events things can change. You were one of those points Harry, but only up to when you had to die. Everything after that was just as uncertain as the rest of us."

"But why not tell us the truth?" Amy wondered.

Rory shrugged, "He never exactly said Harry was going to stay dead, just that he had to die. Beyond that it's a question for the Doctor..."

"Where is the Doctor anyway?" Harry asked.

"He's...out there," Amy said quietly, waving her hand at the window. "Off having mad adventures with his blue box, but what about your friends Hermione and Ron?"

"Oh they got married of course," Ginny said.

"They wanted to come, but there was business at the Ministry they needed to attend to," Harry added.

"What about kids?" Amy asked. She figured if she could keep the Potters talking about themselves they wouldn't press her further on the Doctor.

"Oh yes, we have thee, James, Albus, and Lily..." The rest of the evening passed in comfortable small talk as Harry and Ginny talked their life and jobs, while Amy and Rory told inconsequential stories about their travels with the Doctor. The bottle of wine was long finished when Harry glanced at a clock over the fireplace mantel.

"Is that the time? We really need to get going. We left the kids with their grandmum, and while she loves them dearly, she's probably ready to put James in a body-bind hex by now."

"Of course, here I'll show you out," Amy said.

"Ginny, Harry, it was great to see you again," Rory told the couple. "And feel free to stop by anytime."

"And next time bring Hermione and Ron," Amy added. "And your kids, I'd love to meet them." They all stood up and Amy lead the Potters to the door. "It really was lovely to see you both again," Amy said as they stood on her front stoop. "I'm so happy for the two of you, but especially you Harry. When I first met you were a boy with no future. Now look at you, all grown up, married to your school sweetheart, kids, a whole life. It just makes me so glad to see someone who thought they were in an impossible situation escape from it."

"Amy," Harry gently asked. "What happened to the Doctor?"

Amy sighed, "He dies," she admitted. "Last April he is going to die."

"But, that doesn't make any sense, you mean he's already dead?" Ginny asked, horrified by the news.

"A future version of the Doctor died," Amy clarified. "So he's still out there somewhere, messing around in his blue box, but his story has an ending now."

"Is there anything anyone can do?"

"His death is a fixed point, just like Harry's was."

"But I'm not dead," Harry protested.

"I know," Amy replied. "And that's what gives me hope." She reached out and hugged Harry. "Thank-you for coming, and please come back soon. I'll tell you real stories about the Doctor, not that rubbish we went on about tonight. The Opening of the Pandorica, the Battle of Demon's Run, the Girl Who Waited, the Last Centurion, and the story of Melody Pond. If the Doctor's time is at an end people need to hear his story." Amy laughed, "Look at me getting all solemn."

Harry squeezed Amy's shoulder. "We understand, and we definitely won't take another fifteen years to visit again. 

"Just give us a ring, or whatever it is you wizards do," Amy said as she shared farewell hugs with the Potters.

"Oh, and if you do see the Doctor, be sure to give him these," Harry said as he pulled a bag out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Amy.

"What are they?" Amy asked as she peered into the bag.

"Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean," Harry replied. "I thought the Doctor might like them."

Amy picked a jelly bean out of the bag and popped it into her mouth. "Fish Custard!" She exclaimed with a laugh, "Oh that is brilliant! Thank-you so much."

They said their final goodbyes and Amy watched the Potters walk down the street, then disappear with a crack. She then looked up at the sky. "You come back to me, you hear? Because I've got a present for you," she said to the night before going back into the house, closing the TARDIS blue door behind her.

-The End

Afterword: And we're done. I won't mince words, I am really quite proud with how this story turned out. Though I'll grant you the threat was a little vague, but I didn't want to use any of the heavy hitters in the Who canon (Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels, etc.), and tying it into the Silence fit in nicely where I decided the place the story in the Who time line. Now as far as why didn't the Doctor tell Amy and Rory that Harry was going to be OK? I confess I don't have a good answer, that's the results of two different drafts being welded together. In the end let's just say the Doctor was looking for an excuse to boot Amy and Rory from the Tardis before The Impossible Astronaut. In any event, this was a lot of fun to write, and thanks one last time to everyone who stopped by to read. Now go write a review already!

-sam 10/20/2011


End file.
